ONE PAIR OF SHOES PRESENTS
THE SOCIAL CURE : A Documentary Film
Can you and your friends slow the spread of a devastating Global Disease? (and promote other positive behaviors?)
We’ve become aware of how we can use technology to expand our social networks and self-promote, publicize, even defame….but are there better ways to use our hyper-connected, network-oriented relations?
The Social Cure explores our ability to affect change through our own personal relationships. Our target: a hostile epidemic that’s victimizing minority populations across the globe.
In 2009, A UNAIDS Global report estimated that 22.5 million citizens of Sub-Saharan Africa are living with HIV. That figure includes an estimated 5.6 million people living with HIV in South Africa alone – approximately 12% of the country’s total population. It remains the largest epidemic in the world. (for comparison, CDC estimates count HIV carriers in the 50 United States, DC and 5 US territories at approximately 1 million or 0.3% of the total population).
Attempts to halt the spread of HIV in South Africa are frustrated by the fact that the majority of those affected do not know their HIV status.
HIV testing is now readily available to most citizens of South Africa. What prevents standard HIV testing in adolescents and adults? How do we increase the number of people taking HIV tests and the frequency of that testing?
When HIV first emerged in the early 80’s testing was inordinately focused on homosexual communities. Though heterosexual sex remains the dominant mode of HIV transmission, the disease is still widely considered a ‘gay’ epidemic. Associations with ‘promiscuity’ and ‘immoral’ behaviors contribute to stigmatization of the disease in certain cultural climates. In South Africa, efforts to slow the spread of the disease were further confounded by a tumultuous political climate that failed to address the issue, even implicating HIV in rumors of government conspiracies. This was exacerbated by a changing bureaucracy’s failure to prioritize the stigmatized illness.
The turn of the century saw a new outlook on social policy in South Africa determined to communicate the perils of at-risk behaviors to young people aged 12-17, before they contracted the disease. Public health ‘scare tactics’ and lectures had failed to affect the country’s youth. It was decided the relevant model was a Sprite campaign that brought the product off the shelves and into the community. ‘LoveLife’ was launched with advisement from advertising and marketing teams as well as teenagers. It was developed as a social organization that would promote healthy behaviors and offer youth a safe environment for HIV education- where they could not only receive information about the disease and at-risk behaviors, but discuss concerns that are relevant to them, that they could internalize through the shared experience of their contemporaries – their friends.
UNAIDS estimates that in 33 countries, HIV incidence has fallen by more than 25% between 2001 and 2009. Of these countries 22 are in sub-Saharan Africa. These figures demonstrate that positive behavior change can alter the course of the epidemic—while stigma and discrimination, lack of access to services and ineffective legislation can make the epidemic worse. Harmful social and gender norms have also increased the risk of HIV transmission – as many as 3 of 4 people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa are women. A World Health Organization (WHO) report on women and health highlights the critical role of gender inequality in increasing vulnerability to HIV infection and other conditions and limiting access to health care services and information. Current research has shown that there is a sharp increase in infection after age 18 – one third of all infections occur between the ages of 18 and 23 after young people have left school and have lost their community, their social network.
Is there something we can do to affect a positive cultural change that can move whole communities in a new direction? How can we raise awareness in a way that invites the individual to internalize rather than simply acknowledge health related information? How can we call for behavioral change in a way that averts resistance? What happens if we each take one step toward positive change…and ask one friend to take that step with us? What if we ask two friends?
In association with NYU, the Praekelt Foundation is launching a new study that uses mobile technology to increase HIV testing in South Africa. The objective is to create a universally accessible, mobile platform that uses Social Contagion and Peer Incentives, to increase the likelihood of a user taking an HIV test, especially those in the at-risk demographic of women aged 18-24. The plan is to put a new twist on an old policy lever – economic incentives.
With the cooperation of a large mobile service operator, this study will offer free airtime to cell phone users who take the initiative to get tested. Those who get tested will be offered additional air time for each friend they successfully refer to HIV testing.
For centuries, economists and lawmakers have used incentives to change society. Taxes on cigarette consumption reduce smoking. Tax breaks to companies that create jobs at home increase employment. Social incentives potentially carry even more power. Individuals know which of their friends are most in need and most likely to respond to the incentive itself. We know where our friends’ interests are and — above all — we trust our friends. The initiative is designed to catalyze a Social Multiplier Effect which amplifies behavior change through social mobilization using technology.
We will investigate what incentives do to drive positive behaviors and raise awareness. Once awareness is heightened, how likely are we to pass it on? How can we be motivated to spread our newly adopted behaviors and awareness? When we send an anonymous message, does it have the same effect as a word from a friend? How powerful, how motivating is our simple longing for connection with one another?
So what happens when we don’t have incentives to promote positive behaviors? Once awareness is raised, can positive social change be affected without financial motivation? Now that we’re connected, how can we affect a healthier community, positive social and cultural change? How can we not only communicate messages that promote positive change, but encourage them to be internalized by the individual?
What other positive behaviors can we influence?
How can you and your friends change your communities; your world?
The SOCIAL CURE explores how we can affect one another to contribute to a better, safer, healthier planet and offers a community of robust, buoyant, productive and self-sustaining members as an example of the profound and unlimited potential of a Social Cure.
**This film will be used to promote the program’s success for use in other affected nations. Viewed across the globe, this film hopes to inspire individuals to use their social networking capabilities to influence positive behavior and affect a positive global movement.
The Social Cure has completed its first phase of principle photography. A short film representing the feature is in the editing room. The short will be used to garner interest in the feature film to be released in early 2013 to reach the broadest audience.
An early look at ‘The Social Cure’ can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV6HpiUgW2o
Please contact us to view additional clips from the short film.**This film will be used to promote the program’s success for use in other affected nations. Viewed across the globe, this film hopes to inspire individuals to use their social networking capabilities to influence positive behavior and affect a positive global movement.
CONTRIBUTE
to make a tax-deductible contribution to this project and its goals, please follow this link: http://www.nywift.org/article.aspx?ID=3573